Univ. of South Carolina employee charged in kickback scheme

Jul. 18, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Prosecutors say a project manager at the University of South Carolina funneled $420,000 worth of grant money to himself over seven years.

The state grand jury indicted 48-year-old Blake Langland on five counts relating to public corruption in an indictment made public Tuesday. The indictment says Langland works at the university's Electrical Engineering Department.

Prosecutors say when a subcontractor determined it couldn't do work it was being paid to do and agreed to stop working, Langland took over the company's finances and sent money to a firm he created.

Authorities say Langland also used other employees and graduate students to do personal work and jobs where he overbilled for their work and pocketed the difference.